


Mollify

by Rivulet027



Category: DC's Legends of Tomorrow (TV)
Genre: Anxiety Disorder, Established Relationship, Extended Scene, Implied/Referenced Self-Harm, M/M, Mental Health Issues, Misunderstandings, POV Outsider, Past Brainwashing, Pyromania, Season/Series 03, Unhealthy Coping Mechanisms
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-18
Updated: 2018-04-18
Packaged: 2019-04-24 15:28:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,326
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14358351
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rivulet027/pseuds/Rivulet027
Summary: S3 I, Ava scene extension. After Zari and Mick reach an understanding Zari overhears Mick talk to Ray about his concerns with being a totem bearer.





	Mollify

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: I own nothing to do with DC. It's not my toy box and I'm merely playing.
> 
> A/N: I'm finally catching up on this season and there seemed to be a lot unsaid between Zari and Mick in their scenes together in this episode and I wanted to explore that a bit. Zari and Ray bring up that Mick was being offensive. Also Mick and Ray talk about Mick's mental illness and I think I tagged everything they talk about. At one point Mick talks about a demon attack he witnessed while in-patient. Mick's self harm as an unhealthy coping mechanism and his aphasia are also touched on. If any of this is going to bother you please don't read.

Zari greets Ray as he walks past her into the kitchen. She intends to play video games before getting some sleep. Or maybe she should check in with Amaya, report on Mick’s lack of progress. 

“How was your day?” Ray asks Mick cheerfully. Mick grunts in response and Ray continues, “That bad, huh?”

The worry in Ray’s tone causes Zari to pause. 

“I almost got Zari to leave me alone,” Mick grumbles.

Zari stills, then shifts back slowly towards the doorway. She’s been annoyed with Mick all day, had he been deliberately egging her on?

“You could just talk to her,” Ray suggests. “She might have some answers for you.”

“If I can’t explain it to Amaya I can’t explain it to Zari. Now I’m supposed to be some totem bearing hero.”

“Anti-hero?” Ray suggests.

“Don’t provoke me,” Mick complains.

Zari peeks around the doorway. She doesn’t think Mick will hurt Ray, he tends to walk away grumbling when Ray gets to be too much for him. Instead she sees Ray reach out and take hold of Mick’s hand on the table, squeezing it in comfort. She shifts back, not wanting to be seen.

“That’s not what you meant,” Ray says softly.

“No,” Mick admits. “Play me, no.”

“Placate?” Ray suggests.

Mick makes an affirmative grumble.

“You sure?” Ray says in a light teasing tone. He continues when Mick makes an interested noise. “Assuage?”

“Professor would’ve said assuage,” Mick comments.

“Probably,” Ray agrees. “I think I’d have used mollify.”

“Because you’re trying to mollycoddle me?” Mick deadpans, then makes a pleased noise when Ray laughs.

Zari frowns, not sure what Mick has to be anxious about. He hadn’t seemed anxious all day, just offensive.

“Tried to distract myself with food, cooking. The way I can make popcorn now,” Mick breaks off, clearly taking a drink, his beer bottle rattles against the table when he sets it down. “I ate so much pork today. Didn’t work.”

Zari bristles, part of her suspected Mick was eating pork in front of her out of ignorance, but she’d also been suspicious that he was trying to push her away. She’s about to enter the room and tell him how offensive he’d been, even though she thought they had an understanding now, when Ray speaks up, “It’s Ramadan, we talked about this. I know it upsets you when people don’t eat, but if it was bothering you, you were supposed to make her something she likes, then set it aside for when she could eat it.”

“She made food. I ate some. She kinda explained.”

“I know you like feeding people,” Ray attempts again.

“If I set something aside the speedster will eat it, besides I was trying to avoid her.” There’s a brief pause and Zari wishes she could see Ray’s face. Mick grumbles, “If I made her food she…there’s no point in trying to talk to someone when you can’t find the right words.”

“Can you talk to me about it?” Ray soothes.

Mick lets out a long frustrated sigh.

“I think you need to. Amaya?”

“She gave me the totem. It didn’t kill me and we had to stop Sara.”

“But?” Ray pushes.

“She handed a pyromanic the power of fire and told me there might be a purpose behind my mental illness.”

“Okay,” Ray tells him. “So why not Zari?”

“If I can’t explain my fucked up head to Amaya how do I explain it to Zari?”

“Hey Zari pyromania, not just a fun label the media gives you,” Ray says. “That’s basically how you told me.”

“I couldn’t find the right words,” Mick admits.

“What are you doing about your anxiety?”

“Distracting myself with food and Gideon upped my anxiety med and I haven’t gotten lost.”

Zari slides down to a squat near the floor. All that was anxiety? What did he mean by lost?

“See, that’s good. Can you…I guess we don’t have time for you to see your therapist.”

“I have an appointment. If we live through this I can take the jump ship. Lisa’s going to meet me for dinner. Promised Clarissa I’d stop by.”

“How’s Mrs. Stein doing?”

“Grief sucks. She thanked me for suggesting group therapy, says it’s helping.”

“So,” Ray ventures. “It’ll probably be exhausting, but good.”

“One of them is going to try and talk me into another support animal.”

“Axel did help,” Ray comments.

“Yeah.”

“Have you wanted to hurt yourself?” Ray asks.

“No.”

“Have you wanted to get lost?” Ray continues.

“Had to stop Sara and I have to keep it together so we can stop Mallus. I’m keeping it together. I could burn you all in your sleep.”

“Hey, Gideon doesn’t sleep. She’d wake us up and turn on the sprinklers.”

“I would,” Gideon chimes in.

“She can’t kill me if I lose control,” Mick points out grimly. “Amaya thinks this is my destiny. Zari doesn’t know what to look for. That death trinket almost got us all killed. Don’t even suggest Pretty.”

“Maybe I can work the water totem?” Ray tries. “I’ve gotten better at recognizing when you’re struggling.”

“You won’t kill me.”

“Do you want to die?” Ray asks slowly.

“No. What happened to Sara…I saw what a demon could do once when I was in-patient. It was just after one girl, but so many people died. If I lost control I want it to be because I lost control, something I can come back from with the right meds and time, not because of some necklace, or destiny, or a demon.”

They’re both quiet for a moment and Zari wonders if she should say she overhead. Would Mick be upset that she overheard?

“Or brainwashing,” Mick says, the words barely audible. “Or shot, and forced into a coma for seventy years.”

“Or turned into a zombie,” Ray suggests. “Nightmares?”

“I’ve had worse. You?”

“You’d know if I couldn’t go right back to sleep,” Ray reassures. “I’m not going back on our deal.”

“Good,” Mick sounds reassured.

“I could take a recording of your conversation and play it for Zari,” Gideon suggests. “It could facilitate the conversation you want to have with her.”

“Could help,” Ray says. “Just, no visuals.”

“Agreed,” Gideon says.

Zari’s eyes narrow at Gideon’s tone, what are they trying to hide from her? She stands intent on finding out.

“Thanks Gideon,” Mick says. “Zari could take me out. She proved that today.”

“Did she?” Ray asks. “Maybe I need visuals of that.”

“I’ve talked about my day and you’re avoiding yours,” Mick tells him.

Zari peeks around the corner and stills, her eyes widening. Ray is sitting on Mick’s lap and has his arms wrapped around Mick’s neck. Mick is cupping Ray’s face. Their foreheads are touching. The two of them start kissing slowly. Zari ducks back around the corner and plasters herself against the wall.

“Avoidance,” Mick tells Ray.

“No, I just needed that. You are not going to believe my day. There were clones, but you can’t tell anyone.”

“Will it hurt me?” Mick asks.

“No,” Ray says.

“Will it hurt you?” Mick continues.

“Nope.”

“Is it something that will help us defeat Mallus?”

“I don’t think so,” Ray says slowly.

“I don’t keep secrets.”

“True,” Ray agrees. “My room?”

Zari heads down the hall, hoping she’s far enough away that they don’t think it’s suspicious. She ducks into her room. “Gideon, you did not show me that.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about Ms. Tomaz,” Gideon insists.

“Ray and Mick! How long have they been together?” Gideon definitely didn’t show her that when she’d been stuck in that time loop.

“Mr. Rory is very private when it comes to relationships,” Gideon tells her. “Shall we say I let you overhear their conversation before they started sounding like a couple?”

“Yes, Gideon. Thank you.”

Zari drops on her bed with a groan. Maybe she’ll just take a nap before the next emergency crops up.


End file.
